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16 Oct 2014

The Kurdish people of Kobane have shown tremendous courage and resilience in their resistance to the ISIS onslaught. The determination of the men and women to fight to defend the territory where they have established democratic self-rule has inspired people across the world.

The Kurds in Kobaneare defending the values of democracy, inclusiveness, respect for difference and gender equality, against a ruthlessly intolerant force that offers only an orgy of bloodletting, carnage, public executions, vile abuse of women and even the repudiation
of the right to education, learning and independent thought. The
Kurdish resistance, and in particular the brave men and women fighters
of the People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ), represent the hope that these humane values will triumph over a tyranny that would take humanity back to the dark ages. As such, the Kurds have received widespread respect.

In stark contrast, Turkey has been exposed for its duplicity and total unreliability as an ally in the coalition against the ISIS threat. Turkey’s leaders from President Erdogan downwards have preferred to bomb Kurdish camps, as they did on 14 October, rather than take swift and effective action against the murderous jihadists.

Turkey deployed 25 tanks near Mursitpinarnear Kobaneon 6 October but no attempts have been made to intervene to save the strategically important city. Turkey has preferred to bargain with its allies to obtain support for the plan to establish a buffer zone in the Kurdish region of Syria and to force the US-led Coalition to launch an attack on Damascus, rather than to confront ISIS directly. We are supposed to believe that the ‘’buffer zone” is designed to protect the civilians as a safe haven, but in reality the Kurds had secured their own safe haven for themselves in Rojava, of which Kobane is a part. Rojava
needs to be recognised as a democratic entity rather than support any
attempt by Turkey to set up a buffer zone. How can Turkey be trusted
following its at best lukewarm approach to confronting ISIS?

The Turks have not only stood by as passive onlookers on the border while the city of Kobane
has been besieged, they have consciously exacerbated the crisis in
order to weaken the Kurdish resistance. Turkish leaders have resorted to
making increasingly wild and unsubstantiated allegations about Kobane and the motives of the Kurds.

Turkish troops have contributed towards the suffering of the civilian population of Kobane by obstructing volunteers seeking to help defend the city.

They have closed the border to supplies and blocked Kurds from Turkey trying cross to Kobane
in an attempt to bolster the resistance. People throughout the world
have watched on utterly aghast at Turkey's shocking actions and they
have drawn their own conclusions. Many now see Turkey as acting in collusion with ISIS and share the outrage of the Kurds that this is a shameful and unforgivable act.

President Erdogan's repeated assertions that the PKK is as much of a threat as ISIS, if not greater, are simply baffling and utterly unsubstantiated by the facts. But this seemingly perverse attitude does expose the deep seated animosities against Kurds held by large sections of the Turkish public and it has become clear that this extends right into the heart of government. Ankara perceives its strategic interests to be at risk from any success achieved by the Kurds in Syria because it will inspire the Kurds inside Turkey to demand similar rights. The self-rule experiment in the three Rojava cantons of Northern Syria must have filled Turkish policy makers with utter dismay and it seems that they have viewed the appearance of ISIS as an opportunity to destabilise Rojava if not to overturn it altogether. The intransigence displayed over Kobane is a clear demonstration of such a malicious intent.

The Kobane resistance and the associations, real or imagined, between Turkey and ISIS that have come to the forefront of the world’s attention over recent weeks have radically transformed political perceptions. This has been a transformative moment in global politics. Many more people have now become all too aware
of the ruthless calculations that determine Turkey's politics. Its
preference of ISIS over the Kurds poses a challenge for even Turkey's
staunchest defenders to support with any semblance of convincing arguments.

The Kurds, by contrast, have earned enormous respect for their fortitude and determination in putting up a resistance against ISIS for so long and so successfully given the huge odds stacked against them. ISIS is a formidable force; it is well funded, well-armed and can count on some powerful supporters.

The remarkable support shown by Kurds in the UK and throughout Europe for Kobane has had an enormous impact on changing public opinion. A momentum of support for the Kurds has been building up with more and more people convinced by their impressive stand against ISIS which is seen as an enemy of humanity.

The
conflict between the Kurds and the Turkish state is at the root of the
attitude of Turkey towards ISIS in the current crisis over Kobane. A credible resolution to this conflict must entail decriminalising the only party that truly represents the Kurds in Turkey and which is affiliated with the Kurdish resistance in Syria, namely the PKK.
Erdogan’s attempt to characterise the PKK as another ISIS simply lacks
all credibility and should not be given credence by members of the
Coalition formed to fight ISIS, many of whom are Turkey’s fellow NATO members.

There will ultimately remain no alternative to the peace process between Turkey and the Kurds despite the hostility shown by Erdogan towards Kurdish interests in Rojava. Much more effective pressure must be brought to bear on Turkey to restart the peace process and take concrete steps to negotiate a political solution to the conflict which should include the delisting of the PKK and the release of Abdullah Ocalan.

The Kurds have earned their entitlement to be treated as equals in any negotiated peace. That's the central lesson that needs to be drawn from the siege of Kobane and the inspirational Kurdish resistance to the tyranny of ISIS.

12 Oct 2014

We call on Turkey to end the blockade of support and aid at
its border for the Kurdish people fighting in self-defence in Kobane and
Rojava.

We call on the UK to immediately lift the ban on the Kurdish Workers'
Party (PKK) and urge the UK and our legal representatives to press for the
removal of the PKK from the UK, EU and UN lists of proscribed terrorist
organisations.

We call on our representatives to press for the protection of the
autonomous region Rojava, where people live together based on values such as equality,
tolerance, pluralism and ecological balance.

11 Oct 2014

Call for nominations for members wishing to stand for parliamentary election in Maidenhead, Bracknell or Slough

As
the East Berkshire Green Party Nominating Officer and designated
Electoral Returning Officer (ERO), it is my duty to give formal notice
to the EBGP membership that we are calling for nominations for anyone
wishing to stand for parliamentary election in the constituencies of
Maidenhead, Bracknell or Slough, from today, Wed 8th Oct 2014.

Green Party rules for the selection procedure are detailed at the end of this email.

Any
member seeking nomination should contact the ERO through the email
address given in the timetable below for further information. You will
need to comply with the rules set out in the procedure for nomination.

A
ready made nomination and consent form will be provided, along with a
nomination statement form containing various detailed questions
regarding your suitability as a candidate. You will be required to
provide a separate supporting statement of no more than 500 words.

The
selection timetable has been set in accordance with guidance from Chris
Rose, the Green Party National Election Agent. Close of nominations
will be at 5pm on Wed 22nd Oct. (If a second call is required, then
final close of nominations will be two weeks later on Wed 5th Nov.)

Wed 8th Oct First call for nominations

Wed 22nd Oct Close of nominations, at 5pm, to the Electoral Returning Officer (ERO)

9 Oct 2014

The Green Party observes the war against ISIS, the battles in city of Kobane and Turkey’s stance with interest.

Especially in the city of Kobane,
Kurds have been left fighting alone, without the support of Americans
or Turkish fighters, who despite their declarations are helping the
jihadists with these actions.

Turkey is trying to win a few more «prizes», with America’s blessings, before it decides to join this war.

The result is thousands of Kurds fighting ISIS, getting killed and forced out of their city, without any help.

We consider any Kurdish protests fair, regarding the tolerance of the West and Turkey’s sly decisions.